State eyes $15 annual ATV fee

SPRINGFIELD — It may soon become more expensive to own an ATV in Illinois.

The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises newspapers reports the state is in the final stages of approving a $15 annual fee for all-terrain vehicles.

If it’s approved, the permit would be required starting in January.

Chris McCloud is a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. He says the new surcharge could bring in up to $800,000 a year.

Similar programs are already in place in other states.

McCloud says the money from the ATV fee will be used for law enforcement and to upgrade off-road trail areas.

Golf cart owners will be exempt, along with some farmers and ranchers who use the vehicles on their own property.